Clean India Mission: Building Nation through Sustainable Waste Management Practices

Abstract

The case study underscores an operational concern faced by Praveen Vishwakarma, the Senior Manager — Operations at Eco Pro Environmental Services in Indore, in January 2020, pertaining to the daily waste collection in the city. Working in close cooperation with the civic administration, the company focuses on daily waste management of Indore, a commercial hub in Central India. The city of Indore has been declared as the cleanest city in India for three consecutive years according to the cleanliness survey conducted by Government of India under the aegis of clean Indian mission. Clean India mission, launched in 2014, encompassing sustainable development forms the backdrop. The company has been facing huge transportation costs for operating waste collection vehicles and there has been severe violations in the timelines in serving two of the wards. The protagonist is at the crossroads of operational efficiency and service effectiveness. The case highlights the key decision making which involves redesigning of the collection routes through an optimization problem and uses a practical solution approach to resolve the multi-faceted dilemma. The case study is helpful for civic administrators and players involved in waste management by providing actionable guidelines.